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New Mumbai: During the Indian Civil War, the Dharavi slums of Mumbai were flooded with refugees looking to escape the conflict. The Mumbai authorities, distracted by defence of the city and facing an already over-populated and poverty stricken slum could do little to maintain a semblance of civilised life in the area. Sometime later a cache of biological samples appeared through the criminal networks of Mumbai, in the vain hope that it might provide new marketable narcotic opportunities. The collective drive and expertise of the refugees managed to turn theses genetically-engineered fungal samples into a new type of infrastructure providing heat, light and building material for the refugees. Dharavi rapidly evolved its own micro-economy based around the mushrooms. This documentary tells the story of some of the characters involved from Mumbai and the rest of the world and how Dharavi came to be such a unique place.

First prize in Documentary category for the Bio-Fiction awards 2014.

Exhibited:
05.2017 – Tomorrows Exhibition, Athens
03.2017 – Science Gallery Bangalore
11.2015 – Milan Design Film Festival, Milan
10.2015 – Bio-Fiction, Vienna
05.2014 – Oslo Night, House of Electronic Arts, Basel, Switzerland
10.2014 – Synthetic Aesthetics Lates, V&A, London
10.2013 – Grow Your Own, Science Gallery Dublin
04.2013 – Tin Shed, New Cross, London
07.2012 – RCA degree show, London

Press
Interview on DNA India
Featured on Kottke
Featured on Designboom
Featured on Inhabitat
Featured on Archinect
Featured on Atlantic Cities
Featured on Mumbai Boss
Featured on Ikono
Interview on DZine Trip
Featured on Mutant Space
Featured on Trendhunter
Featured on Open Culture
Selected as a Top Reader Submission of 2012 at Designboom
Last updated: 05.2020